Raccoon Mtn before the rain

Woke to alarm w/ intent to be riding @ Raccoon above Chattanooga before 10:00 to get started b4 forecasted rain. Sleeping better as cold illness is lessening.

River is back in its channel and running clear & stink free.

Clouds lowered & drizzle started dropping on way up mtn. At least its not rain. Still parking spots in small lot. Gear up w/ tights & wind breaker w/ rain jacket for just in case: I preferred to be wet from sweat than rain. Trails are in good shape meaning that the rain hasn’t destroyed them. they seem to be about as muddy as they were last weekend. Cleveland received over 4″ rain on Monday, suspect raccoon got like amount.

Saw about 8 riders in 2 hours. I just started going counter clockwise and slithered on. I rode a side loop trail, Small Intestine. look @ the map data and figure out where it was and why it is named that. Trail was suspect slippery: don’t count on cutting the trees real close and certainly not on off camber.

SORBA Chattanooga worked w/ TVA for trail construction. This picture shows a creative effort to build the trail below the dam and save bridging 150′ of gulley:

Trail tread again was not technical overly but did have roots & rocks:

A short cloud burst caused me to stop & don my rain jacket for rest of ride but that was all the rain that would fall on me during the ride.

Checked my ride data and found that my heart rate is up perhaps because of the cold. 14.88 miles 131bpm avg, 1806 vert, 2:07 riding time, 2:17 total time. fairly scooted.

Started raining after I put bike on rack.

Decided that I wanted either moonshine or Scotch. Researched choices in Yellow Pages. Picked 1, entered location and drove off. Moonshine was same choices and I am not ready for state issue mason jar no more than 30 days old ‘shine. Talked myself into an equally priced bottle of Scotch that is almost as rough as ‘shine.

Driving back to I-75 I passed a business, Little Gym. I thought a shower. I found a health club behind the gym first and asked a guy if I could buy a shower. he said he was not the owner who would have to grant my request and he was gone to return sometime. I checked out the gym. It is named so because it is for little people. Back @ health club no owner. Guy said in his accent drive down road to dead end, turn right & drive 2 miles to Rush, a big gym. I called them on the way and asked if I could buy a shower. I was answered by a sweet young voice for $15. I said $5.00, she countered w/ $7.00 ( she didn’t want to make change, I suspect) because she understood my traveling situation. Upon arrival I viewed the person that went w/ the voice. Very nice. And the shower was good also.

Sipped Scotch on drive back to Cleveland. Drove to Bi Lo grocery store parking lot where I met John several days prior. Shopped for groceries & fixed dinner. Several times the winds kicked up and rocked the van like a boat on the water.

I spotted a likely sleeping spot across the street for tonight. I will hang here in the light and then quietly drive to parking lot, turn off the lights, & snooze.

Checked out Cleveland paper. The TVA is in trouble again for an unauthorized release of river sediment down Ocoee River which caused the stench last weekend. Government officials believe that the bottom of the pool was flushed downstream laden w/ old copper mining toxic wastes. Killed fish, gunked up the white water center rapids. The heavy rains afterwards flushed the sludge downstream out into the lake, killing more marine life.

Paper also had 5 pages of church service notices. Small print.